Nora Fatehi opens up about her toughest rejection from Yash Raj Films audition: “I just broke my cellphone, shattering it into pieces in anger”

Nora Fatehi, who was recently seen in Madgaon Express, reflected on her challenging journey to success. She shared insights about her path from Canada to stardom in the Indian film industry, discussing her experiences with rejection and the resilience that enabled her to overcome obstacles.

Recounting a particularly discouraging audition, In an interview with Rajeev Masand at the Indian Festival of Melbourne Nora Fatehi said, “I remember once I went for an audition. This was for a Yash Raj Films. I really spent weeks mugging the lines… I was like, ‘I killed it’. They didn’t call me back, the feedback was, ‘She is not that good’. I remember hearing that… I just broke my cellphone, shattering it into pieces in anger.”

That moment of frustration became a turning point for Nora, prompting her to embrace patience and timing in her career. She stated, “Everyone has their time, and when that time comes, all the doors are going to open. But if I keep forcing doors that are not meant to be open for me then it’s not going to help me.” Looking back, Nora realized her reaction to rejection was overblown, especially since the projects she didn’t get didn’t perform well. “When those movies released, they flopped, or they were disastrous projects, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, did I cry for that project? I broke my phone for that film?’ That (film) could have destroyed my non-existing career. So I learnt to let go.”

Nora also spoke about the dangers of adopting a victim mentality as an outsider in the industry. She stated, “Sometimes, when we are outsiders, it happens to me too, we have victim mentality, ‘you know I am an outsider…’, it is easy to fall into that.” Yet, her approach has been to channel her energy into growth and persistence. “But if you come out of the victim mentality and you put more of your energy into improving yourself, trust me, if they say no to you four times, the fifth time they’ll say yes because your persistence makes them go, ‘Who’s this girl, how is she so confident?’ It’s helped me.”

Originally from Canada, Nora Fatehi made her way into the Indian film industry and achieved fame despite encountering initial rejections and challenges as an outsider. Her breakthrough came with her performances in blockbuster item songs like “Dilbar” in Satyameva Jayate and “Garmi” in Street Dancer 3D, both of which amassed millions of views and solidified her reputation as a talented dancer.

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